As I write this update, Amber Van Til, Lisa Arnold and I are wrapping up our attendance at the 2026 Central States Conference, an annual gathering of state bank association leadership from 17 states. I have to admit that I wondered about the value of this conference as I prepared to attend, but the leadership teams of our banking associations come together every year to generate a thoughtful conference agenda. More importantly, the conference was an affirmation of the value and importance of community banking across the country.
One of our elected leaders in the United State House of Representatives, who is very involved in the banking and financial services sectors, addressed the conference and sent a message that he was focused on “making community banking great again.” Honestly, the message fell on deaf ears with me as I think community banking is already great and is critically important to the economies of the communities we serve. When you look around the Hoosier landscape of banking, we are fortunate to have 90 banks domiciled in Indiana and another 47 banks with operations located in our great state. Together, we fuel a pro-business economic environment that contributes to the strength and vitality of our state. Sometimes, we simply need our elected officials to recognize the great things we are doing and ensure that they create a path that supports community banking.
Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence discussions were sprinkled throughout the sessions and one of the speakers did a terrific job of helping association leaders with a plan to further develop AI initiatives with member banks. It was a thought-provoking discussion and the speaker did a good job of bringing the attendees into the conversation with break out groups. The clearest takeaway for me was that every bank in the room understood the importance of developing a game plan to integrate AI into their banks. Having said that, the discussion reminded me that community banking is a people business, and while AI will be valuable to our future, it will not define our future. Our people will.
This month’s issue includes an American Bankers Association feature on the legacy of American banking as we all celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary. In Indiana, our banking history began in 1814, before our state was officially formed, when the Indiana Territorial Legislature chartered two banks. In the ensuing 212 years, Indiana banks have proudly served the communities we call home. Happy 250th!
